Concrete blockmaking apparatus



June 29, 1954 A. R. cLANToN CONCRETE BLOCKMAKING APPARATUS Filed Aug. 24, 1951 n l U G A I .r 5- |I L E UWIHI ...14 1-1.1 2 7 s 5 ,3 2 M 511 2 \3 5&5 4 P3 ,I+/ L1-1 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR ALBERT R. CLANTON www F ATTORNEYS Mmmm l Patented June 29, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONCRETE BLOCKMAKING APPARATUS Albert R'. Clanton, North Hollywood, Calif., as-

signor to North Hollywood Concrete Tile Co., North Hollywood, Calif., a copartnership Application August 24, 1951, Serial No. 243,417

3 Claims.

This invention has to do with concrete block making apparatus.

A long existing difficulty with concrete block making machines has been that ofgetting an even distribution of the concrete mix into the mold cavities. Where a mold is designed to mold a plurality of blocks, the several cavities being separated by division walls, the mix tends to overiill some of the cavities and underll others of the cavities. This is particularly true in the molding of relatively thin blocks, say of the order of about lil/2 to 2 inches thick. Heretofore, in casting such blocks, it has usually been necessary to cast them in horizontal position instead of upright, which has materially reduced the mold capacity.

It is an object of my invention to provide a mold for use in concrete making machines which overcomes those past difficulties of uneven deposit of the concrete mix in the mold.

In general, I accomplish this desired result by providing longitudinally spaced notches or recesses in the top edges of the division walls of the mold, so that those top edges present a somewhat saw-toothed surface which tends to shear the mass of mix as it is moved into depositing position by the conventional shuttle of the machine.

Also the irregular formation of the top edge portions of the division walls enables one to obtain a block in which the top of the block intersects the sides of the block in sharp corners, which result is further facilitated by the fact that the top edge portion of the division walls are beveled and project above the plane of the end walls of the mold. Thus, as the rams enter the mold to compress the mix therein, they coopate with said irregular top edge portions of the division walls to provide sharp corners. Also, by virtue of the beveled and upwardly projecting top edge portions of the division walls, the ram elements may be made to lit more snugly into the mold cavities, since they are guided thereinto.

Without intending thereby to limit the broader scope of my invention, except as may appear from the appended claims, I shall now describe a presently preferred embodiment thereof for which. purpose I shall refer to the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a concrete block molding machine using a mold embodying my invention, parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a front end elevation;

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the mold element;

Fig. 4 is a. section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section of a division Wall of the mold;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view showing the front end of the mold and shuttle, separated for illustrative purposes; and

Fig. 'I is a perspective of a block molded in my improved mold.

In the drawings, I illustrate a conventional concrete block making machine generally denoted by the numeral 5, its construction being conventional except as to the mold element. The machine comprises a casing l5 having a hopper I6 at its top, into which hopper the concrete mix, not shown, is delivered from any suitable source. The hopper is mounted over an opening I8 in the top wall of the casing, which opening is opened and closed by a slide plate i9 attached to the inner end wall of a shuttle 20, and which plate slides along a track 2|. The shuttle is moved between the load delivering position shown in the drawings and a position beneath the opening I8, by means of a piston 2t which is hydraulically reciprocated in a cylinder 25 in conventional manner.

A mold supporting plate 30 is supported at the front of the casing by a bracket 3l, and a mold pallet 33 directly supports and forms a removable bottom for the mold, since the pallet rests upon the platform. The pallets are fed into the casing from the rear end, by means not shown, onto a track 32, and are moved from the track onto the platform by a hydraulically actuated piston 34 which pivotally carries a dog 34a to engage the inner or left hand end edges of the pallets as the piston is moved to the right.

A hydraulically actuated ram 35 has male mold elements 36 which enter the mold cavities after the same have been filled with concrete mix, so as to compress the mix within the cavities. 3l denotes a receiving table or conveyor to receive the mold and pallet after each molding operation, after which a new pallet is moved into position and a new mold placed on the pallet.

The mold of my invention is generally denoted by the numeral 40 and comprises side walls 42. end Walls 43 and parallel, longitudinally disposed upright division walls 44 defining cavities 45 in which concrete blocks B (Fig. 6) are to be molded, the cavities being open at their tops and bottoms in conventional manner.

The division walls 44 extend slightly above the plane of the top edges of the end walls 43, and the front end wall of the shuttle is provided with recess 41 to receive the projecting top edge 3 portions 48 of the partition walls, so as to permit the shuttle to slide over the mold.

The essence of my invention resides in the formation of the top edges of the partition Wallsthat is the top edge of each partition Wall presents a somewhat saw-toothed shearing surface 59 which is formed as by cutting longitudinally spaced notches or recesses 5i in said top edges.

In use, as the concrete mix-loaded shuttle is moved into the mold loading position of Fig. 1, the shearing surfaces 50 of the mold partition Walls tend to cut into the mass of mix as the shuttle moves forwardly, dividing the mass into sections each sufficient to evenly ll a mold cavity. After the mass of mix is thus deposited in the mold cavities the male elements carried by the ram are moved downwardly into the cavities to compress the mix therein, after the shuttle has been Withdrawn into the casing to receive another load of mix. Then, after the male elements 3S are withdrawn, vthe mold and pallet are removed and placed on the platform or conveyor 3l.

I have found that by utilizing my improved mold the capacity of conventional concrete making machines may be increased substantially.

Also, by my invention, I am able to obtain a much better block-one in which the corners are sharp instead of being rounded or uneven, which result is enhanced by the fact that the top portion of the extended portions 43 of the partition walls are beveled as shown at @t (Fig. 5).

I claim:

l. In a concrete block making machine, a mold having longitudinal, transversely spaced division walls defining cavities for receiving block forming mix, said walls having longitudinally spaced, transverse, upwardly opening notches in their top edge portions, and shuttle means for moving a body of block forming mix longitudinally over and along said top edge portions whereby te transfer said mix from said means into said cavities.

2. In a concrete block making machine, a mold comprising side and end walls and longitudinally disposed, transversely spaced division Walls dening cavities for `receiving block forming mix, the top edge portions of said division walls extending above the plane of said end walls and having longitudinally spaced, transverse, upwardly opening notches, means for moving a body of block forming mix longitudinally along the tops and sides of said top edge portions whereby to transfer said mix from said means to said cavities, said means comprising a shuttle having end and side walls, the end walls of said shuttle having notches arranged to pass said top edge portions, and means for impacting said mix in said cavities.

3. In a concrete block making machine, a mold comprising side and end walls and longitudinally disposed, transversely spaced division Walls dening cavities for receiving block forming mix, the top edge portions of said division Walls being tapered, extending above the plane of said end Walls and having longitudinally spaced, transverse, upwardly opening notches, means for moving a body 01"' block forming mix longitudinally along the tops and sides of said top edge portions Whereby to transfer said mix from said means to said cavities, said means comprising a shuttle having end and side Walls, the end walls of said shuttle having notches arranged to pass said top edge portions, and means for impacting said mix in said cavities.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 511,750 Britton Jan. 2, 1894 1,123,358 Palmer Jan. 5, 1915 1,258,237 Monroe Mar. 5, 1918 1,420,796 Warner June 27, 1922 2,119,259 Slayter May 31, 1938 2,384,303 Heath Sept. 4, 1945 2,492,297 Lagarde Dec. 27, 1949 

